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The creamiest Blueberry Ice Cream made without any bananas, dairy, or refined sugars! You won’t believe how deliciously indulgent and sweet this ice cream tastes with such great ingredients — plus no ice cream maker is needed!
Next, try one of our other healthy ice cream recipes like this Cashew Ice Cream or this Chocolate Healthy Ice Cream drizzled with a Healthy Caramel Sauce.
Our Favorite Blueberry Ice Cream Recipe
I’ve never met anyone who likes ice cream as much as my husband! However, since he’s lactose-intolerant, that really narrows down the options there are for good ice cream. And so I created this recipe. It’s dairy-free, free of refined sugars, isn’t packed with bananas, and is ridiculously tasty!
While I was inspired to use blueberries since they’re his favorite fruit, I have to admit, I can’t imagine a better flavor after one bite of this ice cream. It is truly spectacular!
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Technically, this isn’t ice cream. USDA regulations require ice cream to have 20 percent total milk solids, constituted of not less than 10 percent milkfat. Since this is a non-dairy product, there are zero percent milk solids and milk fat. We’re referring to ‘ice cream’ in the generic, commonly used sense.
Let’s Chat Blueberries
Frozen wild blueberries are the star of the show here — and it’s important to use wild, not regular blueberries! Wild blueberries are smaller more compact than regular blueberries. This means they have less water content and much more flavor. Wild blueberries have a more intense and tangy flavor, plus they’re much sweeter when compared to regular blueberries. They’re a game changer in this recipe!
Use leftover frozen wild blueberries in our favorite 4-ingredient Blueberry Smoothie or this easy Blueberry Syrup.
Blueberry Ice Cream Ingredients
Beyond the blueberries discussed above, we have five other ingredients in this recipe. Let’s break it all down:
- Cashews are the base of this ice cream — not only do they add flavor, but they’re also integral to thickening the ice cream. Use whole cashews without added ingredients (besides salt!).
- Coconut milk or coconut cream will work great in this recipe. To keep calories lower, pick coconut milk, and for a more indulgent ice cream, opt for coconut cream. See “quick tip” box below for more information.
- Pure maple syrup is a natural sweetener (unlike corn syrup or pancake syrup) made from the sap of a maple tree, which is boiled down to a thicker consistency. Maple syrup is just one ingredient and all natural — the perfect way to sweeten this Blueberry Ice Cream recipe!
- Fine sea salt helps intensify flavors and balances all the ingredients nicely.
- Vanilla extract adds a nice flavor complexity.
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What’s the difference between coconut milk and coconut cream? They’re made from the same ingredients (coconut and water), but coconut cream has a higher fat content than coconut milk (more coconut, less water) so it is richer and thicker. The two taste very similar, so it’s more about consistency. We want rich and creamy ice cream, so we use coconut cream. If using coconut milk, be sure to use full-fat. Lite coconut milk will yield a thinner and icier dessert.
How To Make Blueberry Ice Cream
- Soften the cashews. To ensure the cashews will blend smoothly, we need to soften them first. You can do this one of three ways: soak overnight, cover in boiling water and soak, or boil in water.
- Blend. Once the cashews are softened, add them to the blender along with the remaining ingredients. Give it a whirl and it’s time to freeze!
- Freeze. You can chill this mixture and then add it to an ice cream maker to freeze per the maker’s instructions, or try my foolproof method using ice cube trays instead of an ice cream maker! Pour the mixture into ice cube trays and freeze until solid. Once solid, pop ’em out and put them back into the blender. Blend to the perfect ice cream consistency!
Tools Needed
- Powerful blender or food processor. (We use a Blend-tec®). It’s imperative the blender can handle the cashews without overheating. You’ll also need a lot of power to break down the Blueberry Ice Cream “cubes” into smooth and creamy ice cream without making it watery.
- Ice cream maker or ice cube trays. Here’s the ice cream maker I use and love, but you can make Blueberry Ice Cream without an ice cream maker by using ice cube trays. We freeze the mixture in the trays then blend those cubes into smooth and creamy ice cream!
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Be sure to thoroughly blend the ice cream mixture to ensure cashews are fully broken down and completely smooth. With a high-powered blender, this goes quickly, but with a less powerful blender, you may need to blend the mixture a few times to ensure the mixture is nice and smooth.
What Goes Well With Blueberry Ice Cream?
- Make a brownie ice cream sundae! Prepare a batch of our best-ever Healthy Brownies (or our sugar-laden Brownie Recipe!) and top it with a few scoops of Blueberry Ice Cream and a generous scoop of Whipped Cream.
- Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream. Use a store-bought vanilla cheesecake or prepare these Cheesecake Bars and dice them into small pieces. Sprinkle the cheesecake bits on top of the ice cream or gently mix some throughout the ice cream.
- Make a Blueberry Milkshake: Add in some milk and blend to a thick milkshake consistency! (Use general quantities from this Strawberry Milkshake recipe.)
- Make a Blueberry Ice Cream Cake: Whip up a Graham Cracker Crust and fill it with alternating scoops of blueberry ice cream and vanilla ice cream. Top it all off with some whipped cream and freeze until solid. Cut into slices and enjoy! (Reference Ice Cream Pie for more directions).
STORAGE
We love making a few batches of this Healthy Blueberry Ice Cream at a time so we always have some on hand for when the cravings strike. Freeze the mixture in ice cube trays and then pop out the frozen ice cubes into a couple of gallon-sized freezer bags. Whenever you’re feeling like some ice cream, blend up a handful of the cubes and enjoy — instant Blueberry Ice Cream!
More (Secretly) Nutritious Desserts
Healthy Blueberry Ice Cream
The creamiest Blueberry Ice Cream made without any bananas, dairy, or refined sugars! You won’t believe how deliciously indulgent and sweet this ice cream tastes with such great ingredients — plus no ice cream maker is needed!
Healthy Blueberry Ice Cream
The creamiest Blueberry Ice Cream made without any bananas, dairy, or refined sugars! You won’t believe how deliciously indulgent and sweet this ice cream tastes with such great ingredients — plus no ice cream maker is needed!
Instructions
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SOFTEN THE CASHEWS: We need to get the cashews soft before blending; there are a few different ways to go about this:*Add to a bowl and cover with water. Let stand for 6-8 hours or until soft and bloated. Thoroughly drain.*Place cashews in a heatproof bowl. Pour 2 cups boiling water over the cashews. Let stand for 30 minutes to an hour or until soft and bloated. Drain thoroughly.*Add cashews to a small pot and cover with 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes or until cashews are soft and bloated. Drain thoroughly.
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BLEND: Meanwhile, add the entire can of coconut milk (including the liquid that may have settled) into a large, powerful blender. Add remaining ingredients and well-drained cashews. Blend on high speed until very smooth, 2-3 minutes.
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FREEZE IN ICE CUBE TRAYS: Pour mixture evenly into ice cube trays (we use 2). (Reserve 1/3 cup and chill in the fridge if you don’t have a high-powered blender — Note 1). Freeze in ice cube trays for at least 8 hours.
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OR USE AN ICE CREAM MAKER: If using an ice cream maker, chill the mixture in the fridge for 30 minutes (it gets warm from blending!); then add to an ice cream maker and churn per ice cream maker instructions.
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ENJOY: Pull out the ice cube trays and run the bottoms under hot water for about 15-20 seconds or until they release easily. Add ice cream cubes to a high-powered blender. (No liquid needed, unless using a lower-powered blender– then add in the reserved 1/3 cup.) Blend the cubes into smooth and creamy ice cream. This takes a little patience — scrape down the sides of the blender frequently and stir everything to get it all to blend evenly. Once smooth and creamy, scoop out into bowls and serve.
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STORAGE: We love making a few batches of this healthy Blueberry Ice Cream at a time so we always have some on hand for when the cravings strike. Freeze the mixture in ice cube trays and then pop out the frozen ice cubes into a couple of gallon-sized freezer bags. Whenever you’re feeling like some ice cream, blend up a handful of the ice cubes and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Note 2: Ice cream maker/ ice cube trays: If you use an ice cream maker, just be sure to chill the mixture before adding it to the maker. Here’s the one I use and love. Otherwise, add the mixture to ice cube trays and blend the frozen cubes — works like a charm!
Note 3: Wild Blueberries: It’s important to use wild, not regular frozen blueberries! Wild blueberries are smaller and more compact than regular blueberries. This means they have less water content and much more flavor. Wild blueberries have a more intense and tangy flavor, plus they’re much sweeter when compared to regular blueberries. They’re a game changer in this recipe!
Note 4: Coconut Milk: We want rich and creamy ice cream which is why we use full-fat coconut milk. Lite coconut milk will yield a thinner and icier dessert.
Note 5: Maple syrup: This is a natural sweetener (not to be confused with corn syrup or pancake syrup) made from the sap of a maple tree that is boiled down to a thicker consistency. Maple syrup is just one ingredient and is all natural!
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 191kcal | Carbohydrates: 15.6g | Protein: 2.7g | Fat: 14.4g | Sodium: 9.6mg | Fiber: 1.8g | Sugar: 6.5g
We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.
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